You know what’s rarer than a hole-in-one? An American winning the French Open. It’s been 53 years since Barry Jaeckel pulled it off back in 1972. That’s longer than most of us have been alive. Michael Kim just ended that drought, and honestly, nobody saw it coming.

Kim’s social media tells the celebration story perfectly. Victory photos came first. Then came the real talk. “I get I got the W in France but what am I going to do with 3+++ bottles of champagne? 😂” he posted six hours after his triumph. The answer revealed itself quickly. “This hangover is going to be brutal for my flight home to Dallas. I can already feel it,” Kim tweeted at 3:14 AM on September 22nd. The celebration had run its course. Reality was setting in fast.

The 32-year-old earned every drop of that champagne, though. He fired a flawless final-round 65 at Golf de Saint-Nom-La-Bretèche to claim victory by one stroke. His clutch 16-foot par putt on the 72nd hole sealed the deal. Kim had found himself in a greenside bunker on the par-3 18th. One poor shot would have meant a playoff.

Brooks Koepka entered Sunday tied for the lead alongside Min Woo Lee. The five-time major champion talked about his putting struggles throughout 2025. His Saturday 65 included five straight birdies from holes 13-17. However, Sunday brought different results.

Koepka made the turn at 15-under and looked dangerous. Then the back nine proved costly. A crucial bogey at the 15th dropped him two behind Kim. He couldn’t recover those strokes over the final three holes. Koepka finished fourth at 14 under, missing his first victory since the LIV Golf event at the Greenbrier in August 2024.

Kim’s victory earned him $552,500 from the $3.25 million purse. Only four Americans have ever accomplished this feat. The historical significance wasn’t lost on Kim. “I kind of blacked out when that putt went in,” Kim said after holing the pressure-packed par save. “To be honest, I felt like I hit a decent bunker shot. That green slides away so much that I knew it was going to be quick.”

Elvis Smylie and Jeong Weon Ko both posted 65s to finish tied for second at 15-under. The home crowd was pulling for Ko to force a playoff. Kim’s clutch putting denied both players that opportunity. His Race to Dubai ranking jumped from 160th to 35th place instantly.

Michael Kim’s seven-year journey back to relevance

This celebration caps an incredible career resurrection story. Kim’s last victory came at the 2018 John Deere Classic. That eight-shot triumph felt like a lifetime ago after what followed. Everything fell apart immediately after that win. Technical changes destroyed his natural swing. Kim tried to eliminate the hand action that had made him successful. The golfer who once relied on feel attempted to completely modernize his technique.

“I got caught up in the trendy thing in the golf swing and tried to quote, unquote take the hands out of it,” Kim admitted. This decision cost him years of struggle. He missed 25 consecutive cuts at one point. His world ranking plummeted outside the top 1,000. The statistical collapse was devastating. Kim made just one 36-hole cut in two seasons following his Deere victory. By 2022, he had fallen to 924th in world rankings. Sean Foley eventually helped rebuild his foundation. The process required patience and persistence.

Meanwhile, Kim transformed into golf’s most engaging social media personality. His authentic approach gained him over 203,000 followers. He shared everything from swing tips to travel expenses. Kim discussed his $92,000 annual travel costs and corporate deals openly.

His content strategy resonated perfectly. Kim answered fan questions regularly. He reviewed the submitted swing videos with detailed feedback. The transparency made him relatable in ways other pros weren’t. Critics thought this made him a social media golfer rather than a serious competitor.

The 2025 season proved them wrong completely. Kim’s runner-up at the WM Phoenix Open showed his game had returned. Five straight top-15 finishes followed that breakthrough. He ranked 35th in FedEx Cup standings before missing the Tour Championship by one spot.

“I’ve had a really good year on the PGA Tour and this feels like the perfect cherry on top,” Kim said after his French victory. The flight to Dallas would test that sentiment soon enough.